Bolivian Ametrine Pendant-Anahi Mine

This well cut, well colored ametrine pendant from the Anahi mine in Bolivia was designed and set by Gabriel (one of Charles Albert's best silversmiths) in Fine Taxco, Mexico silver.
*This is what we call the "candy" of the world of gemstones.*

Ametrine is a variety of quartz that contains both amethyst and citrine sectors in the same crystal. Both amethyst and citrine are colored by small amounts of iron (approx. 40 parts per million). Amethyst color develops when iron-containing quartz is exposed to ionizing radiation. In nature, gamma rays from the decay of potassium-40 are the most likely source of ionizing radiation. In the early days of production, there was much mis-information about the locality with Brazil and Uruguay frequently being mentioned as the source of ametrine. The Anahi Mine has been known for hundreds of years. It is located in the midst of the rainforest zone, near the Pantanal wetlands on the Bolivia-Brazil border. The story is that the mine first became famous in the seventeenth century when a Spanish conquistador received it as a dowry when he married an Ayoreos princess named Anahi. Ametrine crystals were first introduced to Europe through the conquistadors’ gifts to the Spanish queen. However, ametrine has only been available on the market in any quantity since about 1980. The mine operated for about 10 years, exploiting the veins of ametrine for both the specimen and cut stone markets. The miners had somehow managed to lose the vein in the complex of mine shafts and tunnels! To add some perspective on the inaccessibility of the mine: it takes 2 hours to fly from Santa Cruz to the mine's landing strip, or one can travel from Puerto Suarez (Bolivia) by boat up the Paraguay River to Lake Mandior, a 6 hour journey, and then a 2 hour truck ride via a jungle trail.

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